7/5/2026 – The inaugural Naroditsky Memorial Rapid & Blitz is taking place in Charlotte from 3 to 5 July, combining open tournaments with elite showcase events across a three-day festival. Sunday's schedule includes a Creator Invitational featuring prominent online personalities, followed by the Blitz Finals, in which the top ten finishers from the Masters blitz section will compete for overall honours. | Follow the games live starting at 17.00 CEST (11.00 ET, 20.30 IST)
new: Fritz 20
Your personal chess trainer. Your toughest opponent. Your strongest ally. FRITZ 20 is more than just a chess engine – it is a training revolution for ambitious players and professionals. Whether you are taking your first steps into the world of serious chess training, or already playing at tournament level, FRITZ 20 will help you train more efficiently, intelligently and individually than ever before.
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before. FRITZ is more than just a chess engine – it’s a training revolution! Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
In this volume, we dive into core aspects of chess technique. Smyslov taught the principle of tactical hierarchy, “checks, double attacks, and unprotected pieces”, and Mikhalchishin demonstrates how this method of calculation is vital.
This compact course is designed specifically for practical play. Instead of overwhelming you with endless theory, it focuses on the critical lines, typical plans, and recurring tactical ideas. Looking for an opening that gets your opponents thinking on move one? Grandmaster Andy Woodward has relied on 1.b3 for years in blitz and bullet, using it to defeat strong masters and grandmasters who underestimated its hidden venom. While many players dismiss the opening as harmless, they often find themselves caught in unfamiliar positions, tactical traps, and uncomfortable middlegames. This compact course is designed specifically for practical play. Instead of overwhelming you with endless theory, it focuses on the critical lines, typical plans, and recurring tactical ideas that matter most when the clock is ticking.
Free video sample: Introduction
Free video sample: King's Indian Setup
A new speed-chess festival is making its debut in the United States with the staging of the inaugural Naroditsky Memorial Rapid & Blitz. The event is taking place on 3–5 July 2026 at the Marriott City Center in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina.
The festival is organised in memory of grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky, whose contribution to competitive chess, coaching and online content helped shape a broad international audience for the game. Financial backing for the tournament has been provided by the Naroditsky Memorial Fellowship Fund, which has raised more than one million dollars to support initiatives connected with his legacy.
The programme combines competitive tournaments with community-focused activities.
Friday will be devoted to a 7-round rapid competition, divided into Masters and Challengers sections.
On Saturday, participants will contest an 11-round blitz event, again split into the same two sections.
Sunday's schedule includes a Creator Invitational featuring prominent online personalities, followed by the Blitz Finals, in which the top ten finishers from the Masters blitz section will compete for overall honours.
In this video course experts examine the games of Bent Larsen. Let them show you which openings Larsen chose, where his strength in middlegames were, how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame & you’ll get a glimpse of his tactical abilities! Bent Larsen (1935–2010) was the greatest chess player in Danish history, and for a time, the second-strongest player in the Western world behind Bobby Fischer. Between 1954 and 1971, he won the Danish Championship six times, and achieved numerous international tournament victories throughout his career.
Free video sample: Introduction to Bent Larsen by Peter Heine Nielsen
Free video sample: Introduction to the Opening Section
Rapid Championship (Friday)
7 Rounds
Time Control: G/10 minutes + 5-second increment
US Chess and FIDE Rated
200 US Chess Grand Prix Points (enhanced); FIDE Circuit Event
Blitz Championship (Saturday)
11 Rounds
Time Control: G/3 minutes + 2-second increment
US Chess and FIDE Rated
Top 10 players qualify to Sunday Blitz Final. 150 US Chess Grand Prix Points; FIDE Circuit Event
Blitz Final (Sunday)
9 Rounds
Time Control: G/3 minutes; + 2-second increment
US Chess and FIDE Rated
Single Round Robin
200 US Chess Grand Prix Points (Enhanced); FIDE Circuit Event
Players: Top 10 players from Saturday in the Masters section only. Players TBD - Based on Saturday blitz results
Players: IM Levy Rozman, WFM Alexandra Botez, IM Sagar Shah, WGM Dina Belenkaya, Andrea Botez, IM Eric Rosen, IM Julien Song, GM Aman Hambleton, IM John Bartholomew, IM Danny Rensch
6/28/2026 – The inaugural Naroditsky Memorial Rapid & Blitz will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, from 3 to 5 July 2026, combining open tournaments with elite showcase events across a three-day festival. Featuring a guaranteed $50,000 prize fund and offering FIDE Circuit and US Chess Grand Prix points, the competition is open to players of all ratings, with participation limited to 300 entrants. Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura and Javokhir Sindarov headline a programme that also includes a Creator Invitational and blitz finals.
3/14/2026 – The inaugural Naroditsky Memorial Rapid & Blitz will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, from 3 to 5 July 2026, combining open tournaments with elite showcase events across a three-day festival. Featuring a guaranteed $50,000 prize fund and offering FIDE Circuit and US Chess Grand Prix points, the competition is open to players of all ratings, with participation limited to 300 entrants. Top seed Hikaru Nakamura is set to headline a programme that also includes a Creator Invitational and blitz finals.
‘New ideas in the Najdorf – a Power Play 18 Update’ aims to complement Daniel King’s popular DVD from last year ‘The Sicilian Najdorf - a repertoire for Black’. Such a dynamic and popular opening as the Najdorf is developing the whole time. On this download, Daniel King updates lines that were included on his DVD but also responds to viewers’ requests, considering lines that he omitted from his original repertoire. The lines examined on this update are:
• 1 e4 c5 2 Nf3 d6 3 d4 cxd4 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nc3 a6 6 h3 e5 7 Nde2
• 5….a6 6 Bc4 in combination with the English Attack (Be3, f3 etc)
• 5…a6 6 Be3 and the …a5 variation
• 5…a6 6 Be2 and 9 Re1
• 5 f3 (instead of 5 Nc3)
It isn’t necessary to have seen the original Najdorf DVD to understand the lines examined here – but it would help as they form part of a complete repertoire.
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
“Attack with Qh5!!” – Tactical training with Oliver Reeh, “6…g5 – nothing ventured, nothing …” – Le Quang Liem comments on one of his victories in Biel, “Grischuk’s stroke of genius” – Petra Papp reveals a surprise in the Sicilian Kan Variation, and much
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
While tactics decide the game in concrete moments, strategy guides the entire battle. Understanding how to improve your pieces, create weaknesses, execute maneuvers, and steer the game toward favorable structures is what defines strong players.
The Italian Four Knights is the ideal choice. It combines the solid foundation of classical openings like the Ruy Lopez or the Italian Game with an active, initiative-driven style of play.
IM Andrew Martin shows why this 19th-century opening weapon still is a fantastic choice for club players. The Evans produces exciting chess and teaches the art of attack.
IM Andrew Martin complements his Evans Gambit course with a simple and attacking repertoire against all of blacks sidelines after 1.e4 e5.
€34.90
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